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Great article by Rob Walker in the NYTimes about the development and impact of Apple’s iPod. As mentioned below, it’s sometimes hard to remember what life was like before a terrific invention like this – and it’s true. I think back to the day it was announced – early one early November morning and BLAM – people have asked about it, adopted it, lusted after one, made it a part of their every day life. And isn’t that what innovation is really all about?

Bruce Claxton, who is the current president of the Industrial Designers Society of America and a senior designer at Motorola, calls the device emblematic of a shift toward products that are ”an antidote to the hyper lifestyle,” which might be symbolized by hand-held devices that bristle with buttons and controls that seem to promise a million functions if you only had time to figure them all out. ”People are seeking out products that are not just simple to use but a joy to use.” Moby, the recording artist, has been a high-profile iPod booster since the product’s debut. ”The kind of insidious revolutionary quality of the iPod,” he says, ”is that it’s so elegant and logical, it becomes part of your life so quickly that you can’t remember what it was like beforehand.”